HIGHLIGHTS:
WCM parents’ retreat—a wonderful, relaxing time, as hurting parents came together Sept. 9-11 for encouragement and fellowship. The excellent accommodations and superb homemade food at Oak Forest Center in Frederic, Wisconsin set an uplifting tone as attendees enjoyed music by Josh Calhoun, a former “wild child” himself. Dan and Wendi each taught sessions and Karilee joined in for Q & A. Look for another retreat: Fall 2012
In the 20-year journey of waiting for our prodigal daughter to return home to the Savior, many times I found myself totally spent of energy, exhausted and discouraged from the myriad challenges of Wendi’s deteriorating life. “How long, oh Lord, how long?”
A glimmer of hope triggered by any small, positive action or word by Wendi would send my spirit soaring, like a kite, to the heavens—only to be cruelly dashed to the ground a short time later as the grip of sin drew her into even deeper snares.
Dear friend, ARE YOU:
Still waiting for your prodigal to return home to Christ?
Still praying through tears year after year?
Still hoping for that miracle?
God’s timetable is not the same as yours. He is accomplishing His purposes as you wait on Him in prayer. So remember this: As long as there’s life and breath, there’s hope for your beloved’s return! “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” – James 5:16 (ESV)
Recently Dan & Karilee were given opportunity to share their testimony as parents who awaited Wendi’s return to Christ for 20 years. Sharing at three services of their church in March, they were part of 5-6 testimonies given at the end of the service to affirm not only God’s existence, but His supernatural work in people’s lives. God, and God alone, brought our prodigal daughter back to Himself in 2000. How we Praise Him!
“If you, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him?” Matt. 7:11
The first Christmas following our daughter’s downward spiral into rebellion, our hearts were filled with great sorrow. Wendi was sixteen – and pregnant. Where could we find “joy to the world” that season? How could we celebrate Christmas when we hurt so deeply? The only gift we wanted that Christmas—our only wish—was for our beloved prodigal to return home to Christ. Yet, during those days of heartache . . . and every single day of her waywardness . . . we discovered an abundance of gifts readily available to us, her parents. Where? . . . Under the tree called Calvary, where plenteous gifts were ours for the taking: Read the rest…
